Connecting the islands of the French Polynesia
Air Tahiti was established in 1987 with the objective of connecting a region that had been traditionally isolated from most commercial routes. The airline was born from the acquisition of Air Polynesia, a state-owned company that had been operating in the area since the 1960s.
Air Tahiti's hub is Faa'a International Airport (Tahiti), from where it operates a fleet of 16 ATR, Twin Otter, and Beechcraft planes. In collaboration with its subsidiaries, this airline serves nearly 50 destinations within French Polynesia, including remote islands in the archipelagos of Society, Tuamotu, Marquesas, Cook, Gambier, and Austral. In 2015, the airline employed over 1,000 staff and served more than 700,000 passengers per year.
Flying with Air Tahiti
Seats are available in Y (Standard) and Z (Special) classes. Seasonality is taken into account when this airline calculates its fares. Generally speaking, the lowest fares are offered in November and early December and between January and May, whereas high season fares are in force during the Christmas and New Year periods, and from June to October.
Although the airline does not have its own frequent flyer programme, savings are available via their Multi-Island tickets and Extension fares.
Practical Information
This airline offers travellers three different ways to check-in. Counter check-in at the airport is required for certain groups, passengers travelling with infants or with pets, and for those with limited mobility. Self-service kiosks are available to all other travellers, although some restrictions apply. Online check-in is available for passengers travelling to certain islands only.
Because Air Tahiti operates small planes, passengers' baggage allowances are slightly different to other commercial airlines.
- Checked baggage in Standard class is limited to 3 pieces with a maximum weight of 23 kg (50 lb) and not exceeding 150 cm (59 inches) when the dimensions of each bag are combined. Size and bag number allowances are the same in Special Class, although you have a higher weight limit of 46 kg (100 lb).
- Carry-on baggage must not exceed 45 x 35 x 20 cm (17 x 13 x 7 in) and weight must not be above 5 kg (11 lb). All personal items (laptops, coats, handbags, etc.) must be placed inside the carry on bag.
- Additional information about baggage restrictions is available [https://www.airtahiti.com/baggage] here.